1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of optical imaging and medical treatment. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and means for improved optical imaging of deep anatomic structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Visualization of anatomical components that reside beneath the skin, or deep in body cavities, is a complex medical problem. Though endoscopy has revolutionized certain aspects of surgery on such components, certain risks are still apparent. Among these, the risk of accidentally cutting a vein or artery that lies near the treatment volume is very high, and places the patient""s life in jeopardy. Such blood vessels may be invisible to the endoscopic surgeon using regular (white light) illumination due to the relatively opaque nature of biological tissues.
Setting intravenous (IV) lines and venipuncture procedures are often very difficult in geriatric or pediatric patients, as well as in obese patients or patients with a great deal of scar tissue. This is a particular problem in diabetics and chemotherapy patients where damage to the skin resulting from numerous needle sticks makes the blood vessels difficult to locate.
Imaging deep anatomical structures with radiant energy has not been possible due to the excessive scatter and absorption of photons, and thus the relatively short mean-free-path between scattering and/or absorbing interactions. The consequence of this is that photons transmitted through, or reflected from, tissue and anatomic structures have suffered excessive scattering events and thus carry little or no useful image information . On the other hand, few photons that are singularly scattered escape from the tissue, thus limiting the effectiveness of real-time imaging. Ideally, therefore, in order to quickly accumulate image information on deep anatomical structures, one must reduce or eliminate both singularly and excessively scattered photons from the image.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of effective means of imaging deep anatomical structures with radiant energy. The present invention fulfills this long-standing need and desire in the art.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and means for visualizing blood vessels and subsurface anatomic structures during surgery and in real time, in humans and animals, which will improve the success rate of medical procedures and minimize any trauma to the patient.
In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for imaging deep anatomic structures of tissue of interest, comprising the steps of emitting radiant energy to the surface of the tissue; enhancing contrast of the radiant energy and then detecting the radiant energy reflected from the tissue surface, wherein the reflected radiant energy provides imaging information of the anatomic structures of the tissue. Preferably, the imaging method further comprises a step of administering an image enhancing agent to the tissue prior to the emission of radiant energy.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for imaging deep anatomic structures, comprising a single or multiple source(s) for producing radiant energy; at least one contrast enhancing element and charge-coupled device video camera(s) with a means of focusing.
Other and further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention given for the purpose of disclosure.